Wilkinson hopes lessons absorbed

SIX NATIONS IRELAND v ENGLAND:JONNY WILKINSON hopes the England side have learned quickly enough to be able to clinch a Six Nations Grand Slam against Ireland on Saturday.

The iconic outhalf and England coach Martin Johnson will always be remembered for being part of the squad that won both the Grand Slam and the World Cup in 2003. But before that team finally claimed England’s first clean sweep in the Six Nations since 1995, they missed out three years in succession.

The first was perhaps the most painful, when England also lost the championship on the last day of the final Five Nations tournament in 1999. A youthful Wilkinson was impressive with the boot as his side looked to finish with a fourth win from four against Wales, but a brilliant Scott Gibbs try, converted by Neil Jenkins, gave the Welsh a 32-31 win at the death.

Scotland were the beneficiaries on that occasion and they caused a huge upset the following year, beating Clive Woodward’s team 19-13 at Murrayfield to avoid the wooden spoon.

It was Ireland’s turn to deny England a Grand Slam in 2001 but Wilkinson hopes that, 10 years on, the current generation can avoid another disappointment.

“I think this team is learning and doing it in a great way,” he says. “It’s great to do that when you win a few games and I think the team’s showing that they can pull through in different ways, whether it’s against Wales and Italy at the start, and the way we did that, or whether it’s in the close ones against France or against Scotland, which was a frustrating game.”

England delivered a sluggish performance against the Scots last weekend but the Toulon player feels it could serve Johnson’s side well ahead of their clash with Ireland.

“In 2000, ’99 – all those years – we blitzed some good games going into the final game. Then we got hit with these big lessons that we hadn’t quite encountered before.

“I think sometimes there’s a bit more to it when you’re facing those kind of games and you’re having to win through them. We took those lessons on board before and it took us a while. Hopefully now we’re taking them on board and we can do it a little bit quicker.”

Wilkinson has been a luxury replacement for Toby Flood this season, although he has made useful contributions when called upon.

His vast experience could prove just as important off the pitch this week, however, as a relatively youthful England squad stands on the verge of a major breakthrough.

It’s telling, then, the leading international points scorer of all time believes preparation is everything when it comes to closing out a Grand Slam.

“It’s all about ultimately sticking together and talking about getting better and building towards the game, doing all the things right and maintaining the right mental balance between having confidence but having respect for a great team. Going there, having respect for the game, having respect for the conditions . . . and just making the most of each moment you get.”

The 31-year-old is confident England are capable of winning in Dublin but he is well aware Ireland would be happy to spoil the party.

“I know Brian O’Driscoll well and I know Ronan O’Gara well. I know these guys over there and they’re also equipped to play awesome rugby and to beat anyone.

“So you don’t win games by sitting there matching teamsheets and thinking about form. You win games by preparing well and trying to get the best out of your players on the day.”